Beth Denmead is "sort of hard to ignore." She described herself as a masters field hockey goalkeeper, but the same words likely apply to her work as a senior social worker for Morris County Adult Protective Services.

Denmead has been following her athletic passion for 30 years, finally reaching the pinnacle of the sport. She is playing at the FIH Masters World Cup in Rotterdam, Holland, as part of the United States 40-plus team.

"I always wanted to represent my country from day zero," Denmead said. "It took me 30 years to get there, but I'm there now. To finally wear USA on my shirt is breathtaking."

Denmead and Maria Keesling will share goalkeeping duties on the 40-plus women's team, which began play against South Africa on Friday. Keesling, a goalkeeper for the indoor national team, is smaller and quicker than Denmead, who calls herself "more of a crasher." She isn't dainty, and doesn't mind picking up a few new bruises.

Brigitte Geiger recalled that tenaciousness even when Denmead was a new goalie at Mount Olive. She still holds the Marauders' single-season shutout record with 11, and helped win a Morris County Tournament title in her senior year. She earned a rare scholarship to play field hockey at C.W. Post, and was a regional All-America in 1990. She played on men's teams until shoulder surgery two years ago.

The president of the North Jersey Field Hockey Association, Denmead plays for the New York Islanders out of Columbia University.

"If you can't take it, we have to find you a different position," said Geiger, who coached field hockey at Mount Olive for 30 years. "You can't get down on yourself when you get scored on, because you're going to get scored on. She had the right attitude, the right mentality. She knew to be grateful for what she had, and always work harder because she could."

Training has become almost a second job for Denmead, 45, who now lives in Netcong with her husband and fellow field hockey player, Todd Portsmore. She is in the gym at 5:15 a.m., to work out for about 90 minutes before heading to the office. After a full day investigating claims of elder abuse, neglect and exploitation, she heads to a different gym "to finish the lifting I didn't get to do in the morning."

Denmead was selected for the masters team in mid-March. She admitted to feeling a little overwhelmed at her first few practices — at least, until they started to play. Defender Karen Chambers of Hopatcong and forward Pam Lester of Skillman, both members of the 50-plus team, are the only other New Jersey residents on the American field hockey rosters.

Her colleagues sent her off to Rotterdam with a card and donations to support her dream, which made Denmead weep openly at the office.

"It's no secret I've been training for this for 1,000 years," Denmead said. "You're standing on the field with the who's who from my generation. That is taking some time to wrap my brain around, to be on par with these people I had played either with or against for 1,000 years, who had made the national team in years gone by when I hadn't. To be on the same team with them, it's a validation of all the years of hard work, and all the time spent training."